Udzungwa National Park
Description: Udzungwa is the largest and most biodiverse of a chain of a dozen large forest-swathed mountains that rise majestically in Eastern Tanzania.
Known collectively as the Eastern Arc Mountains, it has also been dubbed the African Galapagos for its treasure-trove of endemic plants and animals, most familiarly the delicate African violet. It is a magnet for hikers, with its excellent network of forest trails.
Ornithologists are attracted by the avian wealth of more than 400 species. Of six primate species recorded, the Iringa red colobus and Sanje Crested Mangabey (discovered in 1979) both occur nowhere else in the world.
Undoubtedly, more treasures are yet to be uncovered as scientific exploration continues.
Location: Just south of Mikumi, between Ruaha and Selous. A visit can be done as a day trip from Mikumi
Things 2 Do: Hiking
Time: Spend from 1 day to several, depending on your interest in hiking
Animals: 11 species of Primates, Buffalo, Elephants, 400+ bird species, 3 endemic Reptiles (a Gecko, a Skink and a Chameleon), Millipedes, a Tree Frog and more than 70 species of Spiders.
Accommodations
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Wami River Camp
$$$$
Foxes Safari Camp (Mikumi)
Vuma Hills Tented Camp (Mikumi)
“Excellent staff. Casey was extremely responsive in planning the trip. I had certain things I did and didn’t want to do, he tailored our experience accordingly (and with keeping our budget in mind). The trip was perfectly proportioned, mostly because of him. Our guide on the ground, Wilfred, spent 12 days with us. We couldn’t have asked for someone better. We became comfortable companions, easily sitting together in silence over long drives or telling stories during dinner. He didn’t wait for us to ask something, he anticipated our needs. When he saw we didn’t finish our lunch boxes, he asked us what we liked and didn’t like. He made sure to relay the information to the hotels and we finished out lunches going forward. He saw I had an itch to get into the Wildebeest migration. Even though it was far away and our chances of finding it could be small, he made sure it happened. The staff set everything apart, especially when we compared it to our tour companies we saw in the area.”